CS Sutton

Okay, the old story of two very different characters switching bodies has been done quite a bit over the years… Dating The Enemy and The Switch come to mind straight away, so can The Change-Up possibly work. Well, luckily thanks to the use of some good modern, humor and some great comedic performances from its leading men this is one film that certainly isn’t a waste of your time… despite the fact most of your will find it extremely predictable.

Dave Lockwood (Jason Bateman – Horrible Bosses, Paul) and Mitch Planko (Ryan Reynolds – Green Lantern, Buried) are two friends with very different lives. Dave is a respectable lawyer who when isn’t at work is with his wife, Jamie (Leslie Mann – Rio, Little Birds) and his children. Meanwhile, Mitch has never really grown up. He spends his work hours trying to make it as an actor and his free time chasing women. However, on one fateful night the two men urinate in a fountain, make a wish and hey presto wake up in each other’s bodies the next day.

Director, Dave Dobkin (Fred Claus, TV’S Friends With Benefits) does very little to enhance this film. He doesn’t have to because the film has a very special gift, and that is a script delivered by the guys who brought us The Hangover, Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. These guys know that this story has been told a million times before so they make it their own by introducing the new-wave (some would call crass) sexual humor, and while The Change-Up isn’t a masterpiece you will find yourself laughing throughout. The fact that they have placed two believable characters in a completely unbelievable situation simply works in a way that will keep the audience captivated.

The other gift that this film has is its leading men. Ryan Reynolds has really shown over the last twelve months that if you give him a meaty script he will deliver, he’s not the B-Grade actor he once was. Likewise, Jason Bateman is really showing his strength as a comedic actor. His performance here and his performance in Horrible Bosses really shows that he is one of the comedic finds of 2011.

It may have been done before but The Change-Up is a must for those who want to see a movie that will make them laugh. This is Reynolds and Bateman at their hilarious best.

Year: 2011

Director: Dave Dobkin

Stars: Jason Bateman, Ryan Reynolds, Leslie Mann

Classification: MA15+

Runtime: 112 mins

Rating:

Available on DVD from 5th January, 2012

Dave Griffiths

Kidnapped is the kind of film that makes you feel guilty for not liking it. You walk out of the cinema and find yourself questioning yourself to no end. And while you maybe wondering whether or not ‘you really are into arthouse films’ or whether ‘the fact it was in Spanish lowered the impact’, what you should be realizing is that despite the fact director, Miguel Angel Vivas (I’ll See You In My Dreams, Reflections) says he made the film because of a spate of home invasions in Spain, he has actually made a very ordinary film that appears to be simply cashing in on the torture-porn market made famous by films such as Saw and Hostel.

The incorrectly titled Kidnapped (it’s actually a home invasion not a kidnapping) tells the story of a wealthy family made up of father, Jaime (Fernando Cayo – The Skin I Live In, TV’S Punta Escarlata), mother, Marta (Ana Wagener – Todo lo que tu quieras, Biutiful) and teenage daughter, Isa (Manuela Velles – Retornos, TV’S Hispania, la layenda) who on the night they move into their new home are taken captive by a group of violent assailants.

Miguel Angel Vivas’ work really does come across as a film student who is desperate to make a film in the vein of Quentin Tarrantino. The violence feels forced and the story is totally unbelievable. Unless most of the characters have brains the size of peanuts there is no way that would ever do the things they do during the film, it seems that every turn someone makes a wrong decision. The worst part is the film begins with such promise. The opening scene looks sensational however as the film goes on it is beyond anyone to be able to explain even who the character is in the scene… I can’t help but wonder if even Vivas himself would struggle to explain it. Even one of the ‘big reveals’ in the film will make the audience groan because instead of being portrayed in a smart way to the audience it really does feel like the director has simply changed his mind as the script has gone on.

The other sad thing about Kidnapped is that Vivas’ cast work really hard… well most of them anyway. For the most part the acting of the assailants is bad (once again reminding you of a student film), however both Fernando Cayo and Manuela Velles can hold their heads high. They work well with what they have got to work with and pull off some harrowing scenes.

Unfortunately, due to a script that is really lacking Kidnapped really doesn’t work, but then what do you expect from a film where the filmmakers couldn’t even use the correct title. Promises so much, but delivers so much, save yourself the pain and watch Funny Games instead.

Year: 2011

Director: Miguel Angel Vivas

Stars: Fernando Cayo, Manuela Vellas, Ana Wagener

Classification: R18+

Runtime: 81 mins

Rating:

Dave Griffiths

Many films will be released this year that have people saying “oh, they’ll do well on Oscar night’… well The Help is one film that will certainly feature on Oscar Night because this is one of the most important films to be released this year. And luckily the film ended up in the right hands, because this is one film that is guaranteed to emotionally affect its audience.

Taken from Kathryn Stockett’s novel of the same name The Help follows a young journalist, Eugenia ‘Skeeter’ Phelan (Emma Stone – Crazy, Stupid, Love, Friends With Benefits) as she embarks on a journey that will see her write a novel that will change the world. Tide of seeing the bitchy housewives of her town (such as Hilly Holbrook (Bryce Dallas Howard – Hereafter, Eclipse) mistreat black maids such as, Aibileen (Viola Davis – It’s Kind Of A Funny Story, Trust) and Minny (Octavia Spencer – Flypaper, Peep World), Skeeter uses the maid’s stories to expose the behavior to the whole world. However, along the way Skeeter realizes just how dangerous this book can be for the people involved in creating it.

Screenwriter/director, Tate Taylor (Pretty Ugly People, Chicken Party) doesn’t hold back any punches with this film. Yes he shows the injustice that the black maids went through but he also goes as far to show that Hilly mistreated people such as Celia (Jessica Chastain – The Tree Of Life, Coriolanus). This opens the film up to a completely different audience again and means that anyone who has ever been bullied in their lives will understand where the film is coming from. Taylor’s screenwriting is superb and his character development is so good that you will soon find yourselves loathing Hilly and will want to see justice served. His script will affect you emotionally, there is no escaping that, but because of the subject at hand, it really did need to.

The big surprise in this film is Emma Stone. While many raved about her work in Easy A, it is a shock to see her do so well in a film that isn’t a comedy. Her performance here shows that she really is the real deal and along with her fellow cast members Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer she will certainly be amongst the list of people vying for a little Gold Statue on Oscar’s night. The other amazing performance here is that of Bryce Dallas Howard, yes she is playing an ‘evil’ character but the fact she can evoke such emotion out of the audience is only proof of how good her performance really is.

The Help is a magnificent film, not only because it exposes past wrong-doings but because it offers a story of hope. Brilliantly written and containing some sensational acting performances from its leads The Help is a film that certainly shouldn’t be missed. This is one of the best films that you will see this year.

Year: 2011

Director: Tate Taylor

Stars: Emma Stone, Jessica Chastain, Viola Davis, Bryce Dallas Howard, Octavia Spencer

Classification: M

Runtime: 146 mins

Rating:

Dave Griffiths

Ah, the teenage romance film. It has long been a genre that the Americans have made their own, but now with Chalet Girl the Brits have joined in on the party and will most likely walk away with some healthy box office takings for their effort. The fact that Chalet Girl seems to be more enjoyable than any teen-roms that the Yanks have produced recently even makes the watch enjoyable.

Kim (Felicity Jones – Albatross, Page Eight) has had to grow up since her mother’s death in a car accident. Her promising skateboarding career was put on hold as she was forced to look after her father, Bill (Bill Bailey – Burke And Hare, Nanny McPhee And The Big Bang) whom seems to have never recovered emotionally from the accident. But now money is tight so working-class Kim has to turn her back on her fast-food job and heads to Austria where she becomes a ‘chalet girl’ working for the posh Richard (Bill Nighy – Page Eight, Rango). She does have her problems though as her co-worker, Georgie (Tamsin Egerton – The Story of F***, Huge) is classist bitch and Kim develops a crush on Richard’s son Jonny (Ed Westwick – The Commuter, TV’S Gossip Girl) who is ‘almost engaged’ to Chloe (Sophia Bush – Mob Wives, TV’S One Tree Hill).

These ‘poor-girl’ stories seem to have been told for many years now, so it’s refreshing to see one like Chalet Girl be told with a few differences, well on big difference in fact as the screenwriter, Tom Williams (Inconceivable, East Cliff, West Bay) has managed to incorporate a story not too dissimilar to The Mighty Ducks or Step-Up into the mix. The fact that his one-liners and the character of Kim work certainly go a long way to endearing this movie to an audience. The fact that director, Phil Traill (TV’S Men Of A Certain Age & Breaking In) remembers that even teen-romances deserve some good visuals means at the end of the day you actually have quite a good film on your hands.

The casting of Chalet Girl is yet another reason why it works. Felicity Jones works hard at her role and the goods are there for all to be soon but it is the two Bill’s that steal the show. Bill Bailey plays the forlorn father really well while Bill Nighy manages to steal the limelight in every scene he is in and after a while you find yourself sitting there eagerly awaiting his next witty one-liner.

Yes, Chalet Girl is a cliché but Williams has done well enough with the script to make the film enjoyable, and even though you’ll probably be able to predict how this film is going to end well before it does, you’ll still enjoy the journey there. This time a director and screenwriter seems to have nailed the teenage romance genre.

Year: 2011

Director: Phil Traill

Stars: Felicity Jones, Bill Bailey, Bill Nighy, Tamsin Egerton, Ed Westwick, Sophia Bush, Brooke Shields

Classification: PG

Runtime: 97 mins

Rating:

Dave Griffiths

You shouldn’t be ashamed to get a little excited to see the name David Lynch on a film, even if it is him being a credited as a producer as he is here with My Son, My Son What Have Ye Done. However, Lynch fans will be disappointed with this film, as normally good director, Werner Herzog (Bad Lieutenant, Rescue Dawn) tries so hard to make this a Lynch-esque film that he ends up losing control what could have been a great story on the big screen.

The film begins with Detective Hank Havenhurst (Willem Dafoe – A Woman, Miral) and Detective Vargas (Michael Pena – 30 Minutes Or Less, The Good Doctor) heading to a crime scene, where it is soon determined that Brad McCullum (Michael Shannon – The Broken Tower, Return) has murdered his mother (Grace Zabriskie – Bob Funk, TV’S Big Love) using a sword. As a siege follows, Havenhurst works out what led to this tragic event by talking to those who knew McCullum, including his girlfriend, Ingrid (Chloe Sevigny – Mr. Nice, TV’S Big Love).

Herzog loses control of this film really early on. In a bid to make the film appear as it has been written and directed by David Lynch his use of things such as the flamingoes and the way in which he desperately tries to show that McCullum is ‘different’ ends up completely overshadowing the main story at hand. So much so that soon the characters become completely unbelievable and the audience becomes so frustrated that by the time scenes flash up on screen with ostriches and dwarves you get a lot of audience members heading for the door (which happened at the screening I was at). There is good-strange and then there is strange-just-for-the-sake-of-being-strange.

You know that this film is on really rocky ground when you realize that an actor of the caliber of Willen Dafoe (of which I am normally a huge fan) is putting in a bad performance due to the fact that the script he is working with is so lame. So, bad are some of the lines that Dafoe is expected to deliver that you can’t help but simply groan. The same can be said for Chloe Sevigny who simply has nothing to work with. The only actor to get any sense of credibility from this film is Michael Shannon who sifts through the crap to put in a good effort playing the psychotic McCullum… although you really do have to wonder if even Shannon could tell you what a lot of his scenes are actually about.

My Son, My Son What Have Ye Done is a clear example of why a filmmaker should never try to be someone else. David Lynch can make a David Lynch without ever becoming too strange however this movie painfully shows that Werner Herzog certainly can’t make a David Lynch film. Beyond strange, unfortunately My Son, My Son What Have Ye Done is a candidate for one of the worst films of the year.

Year: 2009

Director: Werner Herzog

Stars: Willem Dafoe, Michael Shannon, Michael Pena, Chloe Sevginy

Classification: M

Runtime: 91 mins

Rating:

Dave Griffiths

Pretty major turnaround in sound here. And it’s a change for the better. This Perth quintet’s debut of 2008, Avalon, was quite a brutal affair. Pretty much straight up, in your face metal with some progressive elements, and mostly dirty vocals. This band have turned the corner with their newie, and are putting themselves in an excellent position to increase their fanbase in doing so.

However, in losing some of their heavy edge, they haven’t dropped in the quality of their songwriting one iota. In fact they’ve stepped up a cog in this department. The increase in clean vocal melody and dynamics in their sound has in turn increased the memorable nature of their tunes. There are only occasional blasts of heaviness on the new album, and consequently they tend to make more of an impact when they occur, as opposed to when they’re coming at you full throttle constantly.

One Door sets the tone beautifully for the rest of the album to follow, and is highly accessible, relatively speaking. Possible single potential (if they cut it down from its six minutes plus length). Chasing Shadows is also extremely easy on the ear, while still retaining an epic quality, a strong degree of progressiveness and touches of heaviosity in tasteful measures. And speaking of epic, No Road Home (Solastalgia) closes things of magnificently, with its moody intro, off kilter but catchy riffing and groove and twelve minutes plus length. An early contender for song of the year this one. This record is chock-full of tasty selections however.

This is yet another fine example of just how far Australian heavy music has come in the last decade or so. It’s quite a monumental effort, and if it doesn’t garner them some serious national and international attention, there’s something seriously wrong in the universe. Powerful, progressive, interesting and accessible all at once, The Human Connection is a must have.

ROD WHITFIELD

Rod Whitfield

Live albums can be a bit hit and miss, and have gone drastically out of favour these days. Maybe it’s the fact that studio technology has come so far, and studio albums just sound so perfect these days that live albums pale by comparison.

Melbourne’s Jericco are making a bold statement to the contrary with their imaginatively titled live release ‘Jericco Live’ however. Recorded mainly at the sadly departed Excelsior Hotel in Sydney, as well as other venues across the nation, the band and mixer/producer Dylan Mitrovich have got the balance just about perfect on this live album: it’s polished enough to be highly listenable, but still raw enough to completely convince as a live recording. There’s obviously very little if any studio trickery been performed or any performances re-tracked in the post production, what you hear is what you get, and what happened on the night. There’s mistakes, flaws and imperfections, but this only adds to the experience. It sounds great purely because the band is extremely well rehearsed, the musicianship is rock solid and the performances air-tight. Plus that mixing job is highly professional.

And then there’s the songs. Jericco are an alternative heavy rock band whose tunes are full of life, colour, imagination and soul, and are set apart from the pack through the tasteful infusion of their Middle Eastern influences. The set is mostly drawn from their two previous EPs, but the presence of a couple of brand new songs is very easy to take, with opener ‘Monsters’ an absolute killer. And thankfully their showstopper ‘Promises Made of Glass’ makes a very welcome appearance as well. But the set is wall to wall quality, and it shows in the ecstatic reaction of the fans.

This live album is the next step in the enigmatic and fascinating puzzle that is this band’s career, and now only one piece remains: the debut long player. By the sounds of the new tracks on this live album, Jericco’s first studio album could be every bit as monumental and compelling as the respective debuts from their compatriots Cog and Karnivool. Apparently work has already commenced, and with the man responsible for the production on both Karnivool albums, as well as countless other profile Australian rock releases, Forrester Savell. Hopefully this won’t be too far away.

In the meantime, sit back and enjoy this beautifully crafted live album, it’s a joy to behold.

ROD WHITFIELD

Rod Whitfield

This band seriously have something. They haven’t been around very long, and this is their first release of any real note (they did release a demo early last year, aptly entitles Prelude). That being the case, this debut is mindblowing. Many bands, especially ones playing complex and progressive music, take a little time to mature, to grow into their skins musically. Not so with this Melbourne five piece. They’ve got that special something already.

And what that special something is, is that magical juxtaposition of heaviness/complexity in the context of memorable, melodic songs. These guys have mastered this to such an extent so early in their careers that it’s quite unbelievable. With the vocals, which are almost exclusively clean, their tunes soar to the very heavens and stick in your head with disarming effect. And yet they have the instrumental and production chops necessary to venture into musical passages that blow your mind. Many bands go too far in one direction or the other, either they’re so blisteringly heavy, technical and precise that it leaves no room whatsoever for songcraft, or they confine themselves to writing three to four minute tunes for obvious radio airplay and instant catchy accessibility. No such issues here.

This is a fine line to walk, but walk it Circles do, with a level of skill in the execution that belies their few years together. There’s also an excellent sense of dynamics, variation and experimentation in their sound that’s a joy to behold. Wall of sound intensity followed by moments of quieter reflection and melody. Subtle electronic flourishes that complement the music rather than dominate it. Musicianship and sound of a world class level. It’s all here. It’s no wonder a UK label picked them up. We just need Australia to pick up on it as well.

These boys are already poised to give Periphery, Animals as Leaders and Tesseract a run for their money. Give them a few more years and a full album or two, and they’ll been running circles around them!

ROD WHITFIELD

Rod Whitfield

Some bands make it ridiculously hard for themselves, in a commercial sense, no matter how good they are (and Geamala are exceptionally good). Experimental instrumental is really the only way to categorise this band, for those obsessed with genres, and it’s not going to appeal to the undemanding music punter. Not by a long shot. But, if bands like this are happy to purely produce and release their relatively obscure art, without appealing to the lowest common denominator or anything even resembling it, then many many props to them. Their art won’t make them rich, but boy, does it make a bold and meaningful statement.

For those with an open mind and slightly more developed musical tastes, this album is a wondrous journey across dark and eerie soundscapes. Ever-present is the subtle world-music feel, with the non-traditional instrumentation and vocal arrangements, but this is not a world music album. It is something quite unique and indefinable. Ambient, atmospheric, it’s like the weird (in the best possible way) soundtrack to some enigmatic and quirky Moroccan or Middle Eastern made movie.

In short, it’s an album that must be experienced. No real description can do it justice, you simply have to listen to it. But listen to it multiple times, to allow its idiosyncratic charms and graces flow over you, get under your skin and carry you away to dreamy, otherworldly places. One or two listens is simply not enough.

I get quite annoyed when I hear things like ‘there’s no good music around today’, and ‘only the old stuff is any good’, or ‘where’s the originality/innovation these days?’ Well, it’s right here, and if you bothered to open your eyes and ears and peer beyond the mainstream (and well beyond the mainstream, in this case), you’ll find true creativity in music. And Geamala is a fine place to start.

ROD WHITFIELD

Rod Whitfield